Al Gore Sues Al Jazeera for $65 Million

(CN) – Former Vice President Al Gore sued Al Jazeera today, claiming the satellite news provider is attempting to renege on $65 million in payments related to its $500 million purchase of Current TV in January 2013. Christopher Lehane, a spokesman for Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, the firm representing Gore and co-plaintiff Joel Hyatt, who was the CEO of Current Media, said the lawsuit was filed under seal in the Chancery Court in Wilmington, Del., on Friday morning. “Al Jazeera America wants to give itself a discount on the purchase price that was agreed to nearly two years ago,” David Boies, the lead attorney for Gore and Hyatt, said in a statement. “We are asking the court to order Al Jazeera America to stop wrongfully withholding the escrow funds that belong to Current’s former shareholders,” Boies continued. The plaintiffs are purportedly accusing Al Jazeera Holdings I Inc. of fraud and breach of contract, and are seeking undisclosed damages. Boies’ statement also lambasts Al Jazeera for asking that the complaint be sealed, and said Gore and Hyatt have already filed a motion seeking to reverse that decision. “We do not believe that our complaint should be sealed,” the attorney said. “However, despite being a news organization, Al Jazeera America has said that the full complaint should be kept from the public file. We have therefore filed the complaint under seal until the Court can resolve this issue. We expect that the Court will reject Al Jazeera America’s argument.” Also representing Gore and Hyatt is Chris Duffy from Boies, Schiller and Flexner LLP. Greg Varallo and Rudy Koch of Richards, Layton & Finger are serving as Delaware counsel. A spokeswoman for Al Jazeera, said that the network’s lawyers are reviewing the lawsuit.